Electric switch



Fig. 2

c. F. SCHWENNKER ELECTRIC SWITCH Original Filed March so, 1922 Fig! Feb. 24, 1925.

2W .m zmfa p w n om r FC% 2 N F Wwflw m H a w w Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

1,527,709 PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. SCHWENNKER, OF SCHENECTADY, ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF 1\TEW YORK.,

NEWYORK, ASSIGNOR T GENERAL ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Original application filed March 30', 1922, Serial No.. 548,121.

- 5, 1924/ Serial NO.-684,670.

T0 (ZZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I. CHARLES F. SCHWENX- KER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, 'State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to electric switches and is a division of the subjectmatter of my pending application, Serial No. 548,121, filed March 30, 1922.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved switch construction adapted to be completely housed with actuating means accessible outside the housing and connected with the poles of the switch in such manner as to insure snap movement thereof in both opening and closing of the circuit.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in'which Fig.

1 is a fractional elevation of a box or housing with the switch mounted therein; Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof, and Fig 3 is a detached view showing the operative parts of Fig. 2 in opposite positions.

The box or housing 1 is of sheet metal with a cover comprising an upper stationary section 6 and a hinged lid section 7. Within the box is mounted a combined switch and fuse cutout comprising an in sulating base 27 having mounted thereon beneath the lid 7 pairs of aligned fuse clips 28 and beneath the upper portion 6 of the covercorresponding switch pivot clips 29 and contact clips 30, in cooperation with which are switch blades 31 rlgidly connected at their free ends by an insulating bar 32. To this bar are rigidly secured by bolts 33 two stifi spring yokes 34, the inner ends35 of which are bent backward and adapted to strike against the insulating base 27 and cushion the hammer blow incident to closing of the switch, while the opposite ends 36 are bent backward and upwardly into elbows for free engagement; with the switch- -actuating rod 37 and serve to cushion the outward thrust of the switch upon opening.

The actuating rod 37 is bow-shaped and pivoted at one end in the left side of the box somewhat in front of the axis of the pivots of, the switch blades 31 and at the other end in an axial bore 38 in the crank Divided and thi application filed January shaft 39 where it may be fastened by a cotter pin through the latter. The bowed part of the actuating rod 37 rests freely in the elbows 36 when the switch is in normal closed position and hugs the elbows when the switch is in the normal open position as is indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 on account of the relative eccentricity of the axis of the actuating rod and the pivotal axis of the switch blades and thereby operates to y eldingly arrest the outward movement of the latter.

The means for operating the switch-actuating rod 37 comprises a crank 40 rigidly mounted on the outer end of the shaft 39 journalled in the right-hand side of the box and in which the rod is adapted to rock independently thereof to provide for. a certain lost motion between them. end of the shaft 39 has a portion of its cylindrical wall cut away to provide a V- shaped notch 41, between the sides of which the bent portion of the rod extends outwardly and with whicli it alternately engages when the crank 40 is moved from one posi-. tion to the other;

The means for causing the switch to move with a snap action comprises a spring 42 surrounding a thrust bar 43 threaded through an angular-end of the bracket 25 and pivoted to 9. lug 44 on the inner end of a U-shaped wrist plate 45 made of sheet metal. and journalled upon the inner end of the crank shaft 39 with its outer end bearing against the inner adjacent'wall of the box side while the opposite end 45 is formed about t angularly together so that when the rod 37 has been rocked by means of its connection with the crank 40 sufliciently to carry the pivotal point between lug 44 and The innere rod 37 to -positively lock them the thrust rod 43 past its dead center the spring 42 is free to react and throw the switch-actuating rod 37 and with it the switch blades 31'to their extreme osition. While I have shown and described the best embodiment of the invention known to ion me, I do not desire to be restricted thereto.

What I claim as-new and-desireto secu're by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an electric switch, the combination of a base, switch blades pivotally mounted on said base, a double ended spring yoke connected to said blades through insulation and having one end thereof adapted to engage the base and yieldingly arrest the closing movement of said blades and the other end thereof being formed into an elbow, and a rocking actuating rod arranged to freely engage said yoke within the elbow thereof.

2. In an electric switch, the combination of a base, switch blades mounted on said base about a common pivotal axis, insulating means connecting the free ends of said blades, a spring yoke mounted on said insulating means with an arm extending'toward the axis of the switch blades, and provided with an elbow bend therein, and an actuating rod mounted to rock on an axis parallel to said switch blade axis and arranged to freely engage said elbow within the elbow bend thereof.

3. In an electric switch, the combination of a base, switch blades pivotally mounted on said base, a-bar of insulating material rigidly connecting the free ends of said blades, a double ended spring yoke rigidly connected to said bar and adapted to engage at one end with said base and having an elbow bend therein at the other end, a rocking actuating rod arranged to engage said yoke within the elbow thereof, and means for operating said rod with a snap action.

4. In an electric switch, the combination of a base, switch blades mounted on said base about a common pivotal axis, an actuating rod mounted to rock on an axis parallel to said blade axis, a spring yoke insulatively connected to the free ends of said blades and having one end curved to yieldingly impinge upon said base when the switch is closed and having the other end bent into an outwardly opening elbow adapted to yieldingly thrust against said rod when the switch is opened, and means to move said actuating rod -with a snap action.

5. In an electric switch, the combination of an enclosing casing, a switch mechanism mounted therein, a bent actuating rod for the switch journalled at one end in a side of saidcasing, a hollow crank shaft journalled in the opposite side of said casing and provided with a side notch at its inner end through which a bent end of said actuating rod extends to the hollow of said shaft and in which it is free to rock with limited lost motion, a wrist plate fulcrumed on said crank shaft within said casing and connected to move with said actuating rod, and a compression spring device connected to said wrist plate and adapted to produce a snap movement of said actuating rod.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of January, 1924.

CHARLES F. SCHWENNKER. 

